The Road Less Travelled
by elenwyn
Summary: She’s lost track of the date since they started running, but she thinks they began roughly two weeks ago. Peter/Nathan/Claire one-shot. Canon.


**A/N: **This was written for Pairechallenge - the prompt was 'Hope'. I'm not quite sure this fully fits the prompt, but ah well. Written because I couldn't sleep. :)

**Disclaimers/Warnings/Spoilers: **You're safe if you've watched Ep22 "Turn and Face the Strange". Rated PG-13 for adult themes and **INCEST**. If you don't like, don't read. This also has mentions of Nathan/Peter/Claire as well as Petrellicest, Nathan/Claire and Paire on their own. You've been warned.

Shout out to Winter Sapphire who helped me out with this fic :)

---

She's lost track of the date since they started running, but she thinks they began roughly two weeks ago. She doesn't have a watch, either; none of them do since Nathan sold his, so the only clock they follow is the slow movement of the sun in the sky.

Daylight means it's dangerous to move around, night-time brings a semblance of safety.

Thanks to her ability, Claire doesn't get as tired as she would trying to keep up with two grown men. Nathan flies when he can to save his energy; but Peter refuses to use her power until the last minute (refuses to use Nathan's at all), until she pushes their palms together, rough against smooth. Even then he grumbles low in his throat about 'being alright', but she ignores him.

---

A few days later, they run out of money to pay for motel rooms, so they resort to sleeping in alleyways, empty houses, any spot that's safe enough. The problem is, not many places are.

Claire's curled up with her back against a brick wall, Nathan pacing a little way off from her, Peter rummaging through the rubbish thrown outside for anything that can be of use. He finds a blanket and pulls it over her body, even though she's already wearing his jacket to keep out the cold. He slides down next to her and she instinctively reaches for his hand, and they fall asleep against each other.

Nathan finds them with their heads leaning towards each other, sleeping soundly.

---

The brothers hardly talk to each other, and when they do, Claire's usually the arbiter. It's all one word answers and cold, glaring looks, and she wants to just shake them both. Yes, they have their differences, yes, Nathan's done wrong, but now isn't the time, not when they have to look after each other.

Her biological father placates her, _"Honey, Pete is Pete. He'll come around."_

Peter isn't so kind, _"Just because he's your hero right now doesn't mean he's mine, Claire."_

She's stung by that remark, suddenly realises that he's jealous of her and Nathan's new-found closeness. Bites her tongue so she doesn't retort back that if _someone_ had been there to save her from the agents in the first place, she would still only have one hero.

---

They manage to; somehow, scrape enough money together for a motel room one night. Nathan appears with this wad of cash and Peter accuses him of doing all-sorts to get hold of it. An argument breaks out and Claire, exasperated, snatches the money from Nathan's hand and books a room. The room's only possessions are a double bed, some drab curtains and a sorry excuse for a wardrobe, with a door leading into an equally grotty bathroom, but Claire's up there like a shot, flopping down on the mattress and shutting out the sounds of shouting from outside.

She's half-asleep when the door creaks open and two pairs of footsteps shuffle inside. The bed squeaks as someone lies on the other side, and Claire lets herself drift back into sleep, comforted by the breathing of the person next to her and the light pressure of a hand resting on the side of her arm.

In the morning when she wakes up, Nathan's still flat out on the floor, covered with his own jacket. There's a dent in the mattress where Peter was, and she hears the sound of water running from the bathroom.

It's then she notices Nathan's cygnet ring is missing from his hand. She smiles sadly and bends down to kiss him on the forehead, wishing Peter could see how hard his brother was trying.

---

After three months on the run, they finally settle in an abandoned warehouse, having been lead there by 'Rebel'. Here, they continue the boy's work, helping individuals where they can whilst avoiding Danko's men. They meet up with Mohinder, Matt, Hiro. Angela finds them and stays for a time, assisting them and helping build a bridge to mend the rift between her two sons.

For the first time in a long time, Claire feels like she's part of something, that she is a Petrelli. It's with this feeling of belonging that she grows closer to both Peter and Nathan, in more ways than she ever would have thought possible.

During the day, on missions, she and Peter act like any other couple in love, holding hands as they walk down the street, kissing in corner cafés. Nathan holds back, walks a little way behind them, and Claire laughs at his jealous nature, a reminder of just how alike the brothers are.

At night, they make it up to him, and she no longer feels ashamed of how their touch makes her cry out in pleasure, how happy it makes her when she falls asleep against Peter's naked chest.

No matter what, it's always Peter she turns to when the time for sleep arrives. He smoothes her hair and wraps his arms around her body, pressing her close to him. Nathan turns his body away from them, but Claire knows he understands.

Peter is her guiding light, her hope. The lifeline she clings onto no matter what happens. The brothers' relationship is fractured, never to be fully repaired. Her own relationship with Nathan is still building, still growing, but it's also fleeting. She will live forever, whilst Nathan will grow old. Peter, if he stays by her side like she knows he will, will never leave her.

He's the stone that she knows will keep her grounded even as the world crumbles around them, her hope for the future, her hero.


End file.
